Friday, September 30, 2016

A world "thirsty for mercy, unity and peace", calls for unity between
Catholics and Orthodox "receive new impetus, renewed fervor", of which
the fraternal embrace between Pope Francis and Patriarch Ilia II is
"already an eloquent sign".

The visit to the headquarters of the
Georgian Orthodox Patriarchate, second event of this apostolic voyage to
the Caucasus, was a symbol of fraternity, which has been historically
difficult between the two Churches.Georgia is the country where over 80 percent of the inhabitants are
Christians. They are mainly Orthodox (Catholics are 112 thousand out of
over 3.5 million inhabitants) of a particularly "rigid" Church. This is
demonstrated by its decision not to participate in the Pan-Orthodox
Council that was held in Crete in June this year and the fact that
between the Patriarch Ilia II and the Pope there will be no prayer in
common. But for the first time an Orthodox delegation will participate
in the Mass that the Pope will celebrate here in the morning.

In short,
things will go a bit 'better than during John Paul II’s visit in
November 1999, when those who had witnessed celebrations and meetings
with the Pope were imposed a penance. Again, however, a group of right
wing priests and faithful challenged the papal visit, so much so that
two days ago, on September 28th, the Orthodox Church released a
statement distancing itself from the group, saying that such a position
was "absolutely unacceptable" and the fact that Francis will celebrate
Mass that "cannot be considered as an expression of proselytism."

In the
same statement, the Patriarchate has, however, reiterated that he will
not take part in an ecumenical prayer with the Catholic and "Orthodox
believers do not participate in their [Catholic] church services,
because doctrinal differences persist”.

Today, however, Ilia II, for nearly 40 years Patriarch of Georgia,
warmly welcomed the Pope. There was a private conversation and then into
the interview room, the Patriarchal Choir performed a song and, after
the speeches, there was the symbolic offering of welcome tea and coffee.

Francis began by talking of " here has been a strengthening of the
meaningful ties that have existed between our communities since the
first centuries of Christianity. These bonds have been consolidated and
are characterized by cordiality and respect, evident in the warm
welcome given here to my envoys and representatives. Our ties are also
manifest in the study and research projects being pursued in the Vatican
Archives and at the Pontifical Universities by members of the faithful
of the Orthodox Church of Georgia. So too, they are seen in the
presence in Rome of a Georgian community who have received hospitality
at a church in my own diocese; and in the cooperation with the local
Catholic community, especially on a cultural level. As a pilgrim and a
friend, I have come to this blessed land as the Jubilee Year of Mercy
for Catholics approaches its conclusion. Saint John Paul II also
visited here, the first among the Successors of Peter to do so in a
moment of great importance on the threshold of the Jubilee of 2000: he
came to reinforce the “deep and strong bonds” with the See of Rome (Address at the Arrival Ceremony,
Tbilisi, 8 November 1999) and to recall how necessary, on the verge of
the Third Christian Millennium, was “the contribution of Georgia, this
ancient crossroads of culture and tradition, to the building… of a new
civilization of love” (Address,Meeting with the Catholicos-Patriarch and the Holy Synod,
Tbilisi, 8 November 1999). Now, Divine Providence allows us to meet
again and, faced with a world thirsting for mercy, unity and peace, asks
us to ardently renew our commitment to the bonds which exist between
us, of which our kiss of peace and our fraternal embrace are already an
eloquent sign. The Orthodox Church of Georgia, rooted in the preaching
of the Apostles, in particular that of the Apostle Andrew, and the
Church of Rome, founded on the martyrdom of the Apostle Peter, are given
the grace to renew today, in the name of Christ and to his glory, the
beauty of apostolic fraternity. Peter and Andrew were indeed brothers:
the Lord Jesus called them to leave their nets and to become, together,
fishers of men (cf. Mk 1:16-17). Dear Brother, let us allow
the Lord Jesus to look upon us anew, let us once again experience the
attraction of his call to leave everything that prevents us from
proclaiming together his presence. We are sustained in this by the love
that transformed the Apostles’ lives. It is a love without equal, a
love which the Lord incarnated: “Greater love has no man than this, that
a man lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:13).

The Lord has given this love to us, so that we can love each other as he has loved us (cf. Jn 15:12).
In this regard, it is as if the great poet of this land, Shota
Rustaveli, is speaking to us with some of his renowned words: “Have you
read how the Apostles write about love, how they speak, how they praise
it? Know this love, and turn your mind to these words: love raises us
up” (The Knight in the Tiger’s Skin, verse 791). Truly, the
love of the Lord raises us up, because it enables us to rise above the
misunderstandings of the past, above the calculations of the present and
fears for the future”.

“The Georgian people, over the centuries, have testified to the
greatness of this love. In it they have found the strength to rise up
again after countless trials; it is in this love that they have reached
the heights of extraordinary artistic beauty as another of your great
poets has written: Without love, “no sun rules in the dome of the
heavens” and for men “there is no beauty nor immortality” (Galaktion
Tabidze, Without Love). Within love itself lies the raison d’être of
the immortal beauty of your cultural patrimony expressed in so many
different ways, such as in music, painting, architecture and dance.
You, dear Brother, have given worthy expression to your culture in a
special way through your distinguished compositions of sacred hymns,
some even in Latin and greatly cherished in the Catholic tradition.
They enrich your treasury of faith and culture, which are a unique gift
to Christianity and to humanity; this gift deserves to be known and
appreciated by all”.

“The glorious history of the Gospel lived in this land is owed in a
special way to Saint Nino, who is considered equal to the Apostles: she
spread the faith with a particular form of the cross made of vine
branches. This cross is not bare, because the image of the vine,
besides being the most abundant fruit in this land, represents the Lord
Jesus. He is, indeed, “the true vine”, who asked his Apostles to remain
firmly grafted onto him, just as shoots are, in order to bear fruit
(cf. Jn 15:1-8). So that the Gospel may bear fruit in our day
too, we are asked, dear Brother, to remain yet more firmly in the Lord
and united among ourselves. The multitude of saints, whom this country
counts, encourages us to put the Gospel before all else and to
evangelize as in the past, even more so, free from the restraints of
prejudice and open to the perennial newness of God. May difficulties
not be an obstacle, but rather a stimulus to know each other better, to
share the vital sap of the faith, to intensify our prayers for each
other and to cooperate with apostolic charity in our common witness, to
the glory of God in heaven and in the service of peace on earth”.

He continued “The Georgian people love to celebrate, toasting with
the fruit of the vine their most precious values. Joined to their
exaltation of love, friendship is given a special place. The poet
reminds us: “Whoever does not look for a friend is an enemy to himself”
(Rustaveli, The Knight in the Tiger’s Skin, verse 854). I want
to be a genuine friend to this land and its beloved people, who do not
forget the good they have received and whose unique hospitality is
intimately united to a way of living that is full of true hope, even
though there is no shortage of difficulties. This positive attitude,
too, finds its roots in the faith, the faith which leads Georgians, when
gathered around their tables, to invoke peace for all, and to remember
even one’s enemies. By means of peace and forgiveness we are called to
overcome our true enemies, who are not of flesh and blood, but rather
the evil spirits from without and from within ourselves (cf. Eph 6:12).
This blessed land is rich in courageous heroes, in keeping with the
Gospel, who like Saint George knew how to defeat evil. I think of many
monks, and especially of numerous martyrs, whose lives triumphed “with
faith and patience” (Ioane Sabanisze, The Martyrdom of Abo,
III): they have passed through the winepress of pain, remaining united
with the Lord and have thus brought Paschal fruit to Georgia, watering
this land with their blood, poured out of love. May their intercession
bring relief to the many Christians who even today suffer persecution
and slander, and may they strengthen in us the noble aspiration to be
fraternally united in proclaiming the Gospel of peace".

A test excavation is set to take place at the site of a children’s burial ground in Tuam, Co Galway.

The excavation was announced today by the Mother and Baby Homes
Commission of Investigation which is currently probing how unmarried
mothers and their babies were treated between 1922 and 1998 at 18
State-linked religious institutions.

Excavation work will begin from tomorrow and last for approximately five weeks, it said.

“A
sample of the site will be excavated by a team of specialist
Archaelogists lead by a Forensic Archaelogist. Works are taking place
with the full co-operation of An Garda Síochána,” the Commission stated.

It said the purpose of the excavation is to resolve “a number of
queries that the Mother and Baby Homes Commission has in relation to the
interment of human remains at this location”.

“This excavation
will focus on timeline and stratigraphy. A fraction of the site will be
excavated through test trenches, the location of which have been
informed by a Geophysical Survey carried out at the site in October
2015,” it said.

An excavation team has been engaged by the Commission under the
conditions of confidentiality and will not answer any queries on this
work or any other aspects of the Commission's work.

“Residents and local groups are being informed of the impact of the planned excavation with assistance from Tuam Garda Station.

“The Commission is grateful to the Gardaí and Galway County Council,
the owners of the site, for their assistance. Neither is in a position
to answer questions on this or any other aspects of the Commission's
work,” it added.

Speaking at the site today, Children’s Minister
Katherine Zappone said the work carried out by Catherine Corless on the
Tuam home had been significant is setting up the inquiry.

She said she had met the Commission on a number of occasions and had received an interim report into the matter.

“I
have met the Commission a couple of times now and I do believe they
have taken a very very serious approach to their work,” she said.

Referencing the large number of people who have come forward to give evidence, Ms Zappone said

“I
do feel in terms of the job they were given it’s much bigger than they
had anticipated but in terms of my meetings with them they are the
people who bring the experience with them in order to do the best job
possible,” she said.

Minister Zappone said the Commission had “clearly explained” it was on target to deliver the final report by February 2018.

In the current historical moment in which there are violent
extremists "with no shortage of violent extremism that manipulates and
distorts civic and religious principles", all disputes that arise should
be resolved by contact and dialogue between states and within society .These the words of Pope Francis who has arrived in Tbilisi, Georgia,
the first stop of a two stage journey to the Caucasus still gripped by
contrasts and conflicts. From the outset Pope Francis has spoken of
peace, the central theme of a journey that has as its motto "Peace to
you ".

On his arrival in Tbilisi at 15 (local time) Francis was welcomed
(see photo) by the President of the Republic Giorgi Margvelashvili, and
the Catholicos Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II. Two children in
traditional dress, gifted the Pope a basket of grapes. The welcoming
ceremony did not include speeches, which were pronounced during the next
courtesy visit to the President of Georgia at the presidential palace.
Here, after a private meeting, the Pope and the President saluted the
honor guard in the palace courtyard, where Georgian authorities and the
accredited diplomatic corps were gathered.

"The centuries-old history of your country - the Pope said - shows
that it is rooted in the values expressed in its culture, language and
traditions. This places your country fully and in a particular way
within the bedrock of European civilization; at the same time, as is
evident from your geographical location, Georgia is to a great extent a
natural bridge between Europe and Asia, a link that facilitates
communication and relations between peoples. Through the centuries this
has facilitated commercial ties as well as dialogue and the exchange of
ideas and experiences between diverse cultures".

“Twenty-five years
have passed since Georgia’s independence was proclaimed. During this
period when Georgia regained its full liberty, it built and strengthened
its democratic institutions and sought ways to guarantee the most
inclusive and authentic development possible. All of this was not
without great sacrifice, which the people faced courageously in order to
ensure their longed-for freedom. I hope that the path of peace and
development will advance with the consolidated commitment of all sectors
of society, so as to create conditions for stability, justice and
respect for the rule of law, hence promoting growth and greater
opportunities for all.”

"The peaceful coexistence among all peoples and states in the region
is the indispensable and prior condition for such authentic and enduring
progress. This requires increasing mutual esteem and consideration,
which can never lay aside respect for the sovereign rights of every
country within the framework of international law. So as to forge paths
leading to lasting peace and true cooperation, we must recall that the
relevant principles for a just and stable relationship between states
are at the service of a practical, ordered and peaceful coexistence
among nations. Indeed, in far too many areas of the world, there seems
to be a dominant way of thinking which hinders keeping legitimate
differences and disagreements – which can always arise – within a
climate of civilized dialogue where reason, moderation and
responsibility can prevail. This is all the more necessary in the
present historical moment, with no shortage of violent extremism that
manipulates and distorts civic and religious principles, and subjugates
them to the dark designs of domination and death".

"We should wholeheartedly give priority to human beings in their
actual circumstances and pursue every attempt to prevent differences
from giving rise to violence that can cause ruinous calamity for people
and for society. Far from being exploited as grounds for turning
discord into conflict and conflict into interminable tragedy,
distinctions along ethnic, linguistic, political or religious lines can
and must be for everyone a source of mutual enrichment in favour of the
common good. This requires that everyone make full use of their
particular identity, having the possibility, above all else, to coexist
peacefully in their homeland, or freely to return to that land, if for
some reason they have been forced to leave it. I hope that civil
authorities will continue to show concern for the situation of these
persons, and that they will fully commit themselves to seeking tangible
solutions, in spite of any unresolved political questions. It takes
far-sightedness and courage to recognize the authentic good of peoples,
and to pursue this good with determination and prudence. In this
regard, it is essential to keep before our eyes the suffering of others,
in order to proceed with conviction along the path which, though slow
and laborious, is also captivating and freeing, and leads us towards
peace".

"The Catholic Church, which has been present for centuries in this
country and has distinguished itself in a particular way for its
commitment to human promotion and to charitable works, shares the joys
and concerns of the Georgian people, and is resolved to offer its
contribution for the well-being and peace of the nation, by actively
cooperating with the authorities and civil society. It is my ardent
desire that the Catholic Church may continue to make its own authentic
contribution to the growth of Georgian society, thanks to the common
witness to the Christian tradition which unites us, its commitment to
those most in need, and the renewed and strengthened dialogue with the
ancient Georgian Orthodox Church and the other religious communities of
the country. May God bless Georgia and give her peace and prosperity!"

The Pro Life Campaign pre-empted last weekend’s March for
Choice in Dublin by highlighting research suggesting that over 100,000
Irish people owe their lives to Ireland’s constitutional protections for
the unborn.

In advance of the September 24 march, which some
participants claimed was attended by over 20,000 people, a group of
young pro-life advocates gathered on Dublin’s Grafton Street holding
helium balloons drawing attention to the figure.

The actuarial report, ‘The 8th Amendment: Ireland’s
Life-Saving Provision’, was published earlier this month, comparing
Irish abortion rates to those in a range of other countries in order to
estimate how many lives have been saved because of the Eighth Amendment
to the Constitution.

“It is obviously impossible to arrive a precise figure [of
lives saved] as there are many variables involved,” the report says,
continuing, “but this analysis indicates the number of abortions that
would have occurred in Ireland if Ireland had had the same abortion
rates as a sample of other countries.”

Although the amendment was introduced following a 1983
referendum in which it was backed by 67% of voters, the report considers
figures only from 1994 on.

The Pro Life Campaign presumes that had the
amendment not been introduced, Ireland would have seen legalised
abortion by that point.

Jurisdictions

Actuary Brendan Lynch indicates in the report that whereas
108,000 abortions are known to have taken place for Irish women between
1994 and 2014, the number that would have taken place if Ireland had
the same abortion rates as other jurisdictions would have been much
higher.

If Ireland had had the same abortion rate as our near
neighbours in England and Wales, there would have been approximately
304,000 Irish abortions over that period, suggesting that the amendment
may have played a part in saving almost 200,000 Irish lives.

The analysis also considered abortion rates in culturally
Catholic Spain and Belgium, and also compared Ireland’s abortion rate
between 2007 and 2014 with that of Portugal, where abortion was
introduced in 2007.

Mr Lynch found that there would have been 229,000 Irish
abortions between 1994 and 2014 if Ireland had had the same abortion
rate as Spain, and 183,000 if Ireland had had the same rate as Belgium.
34,000 Irish abortions are known to have taken place between 2007 and
2014, and Mr Lynch estimated that 92,000 would have taken place over
that period if Ireland had had the same abortion rates as Portugal.

New court documents released in Minnesota today show details of the
criminal case a prosecutor had built against the Archdiocese of St.
Paul-Minneapolis.

The papers show that some accusations against Archbishop John
Nienstedt, involving improper activities with adult men, dated back to
the 1970s, while more recent charges were from his term as leader of the
Minnesota archdiocese.

Archbishop Nienstedt, who resigned last year,
has consistently denied any improprieties.

The prosecutor's papers also show that officials of Archbishop Harry
Flynn admitted Curtis Wehmeyer to the archdiocesan seminary despite a
strong negative recommendation.

Wehmeyer, whose record showed a pattern
of misbehavior, is now a convicted sex offender.

Archbishop Flynn, who
preceded Archbishop Nienstedt, is a former chairman of the US bishops'
committee implementing the "Dallas Charter" policy on sexual abuse. The Ramsey County prosecutor dropped his case against the Archdiocese
of St. Paul-Minneapolis in July, in exchange for a commitment by Church
officials to admit guilt and to set new abuse policies.

At the conclusion of a three-day meeting, the permanent council of
the Italian Episcopal Conference outlined four priorities to help guide
the conference's future actions.

The priorities include the “way of planning” in addressing changing
conditions in the world of labor; the “way of renewal” for the clergy,
through ongoing formation; the “way of reform” of ecclesiastical courts,
in accord with the documents of Pope Francis; and the “way of
cooperation” among dioceses as they consider the reorganization of
boundaries.

The 14th plenary session of the Joint International Commission for
Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic
Church has recently completed its work in Italian Chieti.

Head of the
Synodal Department for External Church Relations Metropolitan Hilarion
of Volokolamsk tells in his interview with Interfax-Religion about its results. - Your Eminence, what agreement have you managed to reach at the meeting in Chieti?
- The main result of the 14th plenary session of the Joint
International Commission for Orthodox-Catholic Theological Dialogue is
an adoption of the joint document dedicated to conciliarity and primacy
in the Church of the first millennium.
Nine years of the hard work preceded this result. The draft document on
the theme was prepared after the session of the Commission in Ravenna in
2006, but we had serious disagreements with its text. As the head of
the Russian Orthodox Church delegation I could not agree with the text
of the document which represented rather private theological opinions
than the teaching corresponding to the church tradition. First, I was
the main opponent of the document, then more and more participants in
the dialogue shared my opinion, and eventually at the 13th plenary
session of the Joint Commission held in September 2014 in Amman (Jordan)
that project was rejected and members of the Commission decided to
prepare a new document.
It is necessary to accept that adoption of the document by the absolute
majority of Orthodox and Catholic members of the Commission after long
and complicated work has become a success.

Both Orthodox and Catholics
agreed that history of the Church in the first millennium has a defining
character and to achieve agreement on the ecclesiological questions we
should be guided by the way the Church was arranged in the first
millennium. Such attitude fully corresponds to the teaching of the
Orthodox Church as in dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church it has
always turned to the authority of the Ecumenical Councils and holy
fathers of the first millennium. - What question the Joint Commission will consider at the next stage?
- The participants discussed what theme should be chosen to continue the
dialogue during the final meeting of the plenary session. On the behalf
of the Russian Church I suggested dedicating the next stage of the
dialogue to the theme of conciliarity and primacy in Churches of East
and West in the second millennium with the condition that the discussion
of the Unia will be resumed in its frameworks as this phenomenon
appeared after the schism of 1054 and still remains a stumbling block in
Orthodox-Catholic relations.
It should become continuation of the work started in the 1990s when the
document condemning the Uniatism was adopted in Balamand (Lebanon) in
1993. This document should be followed by the next one, dedicated to
canonical and ecclesiological consequences of the Uniatism. However,
work over this document faced an insurmountable obstacle, which
suspended the work of the Joint Commission for six years from 2000 to
2006.
When the Joint Commission resumed its work after the six-year break, it
was suggested to discuss the question of primacy and conciliarity in the
Church. The Russian Orthodox Church agreed to this suggestion with the
condition that ecclesiological and canonical consequences of the Unia
will be discussed in the context of the theme of primacy and
conciliarity.

However, during ten years, from 2006 to 2016, the
Commission did not return to the topic. The logic of our dialogue
demands that when the work over the document on primacy and conciliarity
of the Church in the first millennium is completed, we should consider
the question of primacy and conciliarity of the Church in the second
millennium. Here, we should pay attention to the problem of the
Uniatism, which is central for the second millennium and unfortunately
it is still actual.
Actions of Greek-Catholics in Ukraine raise the problem again and again.
Statements of UGCC supreme archbishop Svyatoslav Shevchuk with attacks
against the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Moscow
Patriarchate sow distrust between Orthodox and Catholics. This February,
a historic meeting between Pope Francis and His Holiness Patriarch
Kirill took place in Havana, it opened a new page in our bilateral
relations. However, right after the meeting, it was subjected to insults
of the Greek Catholic Church leaders.
The next theme has not been chosen, it was decided to leave the question
for further consideration of the Coordination Committee of the Joint
Commission, its session will be held in 2017. But we insisted and will
insist on the necessity to discuss the theme of canonical and
ecclesiastic consequences of the Uniatism. We are not ready to discuss
other topics when aggressive anti-Orthodox campaign of Ukrainian
Greek-Catholic leaders is continued.

Pope Francis this weekend will
visit Georgia and Azerbaijan, two former Soviet republics radically
different from each other, in what’s perceived as the closing of his
Caucasus tour after his visit to Armenia last June. Crux reports.

Georgia is a country with a Christian Orthodox majority and in
constant friction with Russia, while Azerbaijan has a Shia Muslim
majority and a long-standing dispute with Armenia over the province of
Nagorno-Karabakh.

Pope Francis is expected to bring up the issues of peace, solidarity,
and reconciliation throughout the three-day visit, making the pitch at
both religious and political levels.

As Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s top diplomat, said
speaking to the Vatican’s Television Centre this week, these lands have a
“particular richness and liveliness, but at the same time they suffer
from particular strains, lacerations.”

“The message of the Pope will really be an invitation to do what he
often says: Don’t turn differences into sources of conflict, but of
mutual enrichment,” he said.

The motto of the papal visit for Georgia will be “We are all
brothers,” which has an evident ecumenical undertone, and for Azerbaijan
Pax vobis, which translates to “peace to you.”

Hence the trip presents itself as a sensitive one, where locals might
hope for the Pope to address some long-standing disputes, but which
Francis might choose to skip to avoid adding fuel to the fire or being
perceived as taking sides.

Although comparisons are difficult, there are some statistics worth
looking into ahead of this trip, the 16th of Francis’ papacy, and the
23rd and 24th countries he visits, respectively.

The two countries have welcomed a Pope once before, St John Paul II, who visited Georgia in 1999 and Azerbaijan in 2002.

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin has expressed solidarity with
the Traveller community over the way some of their children were treated
in education, social care and especially in industrial schools.

At a farewell thanksgiving Mass for the ministry of Fr Derek Farrell
of the Parish of the Travelling People, the Archbishop referred to an
RTE documentary broadcast on Wednesday evening which highlighted the
issue.

“Why were your young boys and girls treated in such a way? What does
that say about our attitude and respect for Travellers?” the Archbishop
asked.

If every element and species within God’s creation deserves
protection, so also does the cultural heritage of any people and their
own special identity, he said on Thursday evening at St Peter’s church
in Phibsborough.

He added, “Traveller identity must be shielded, protected
and fostered. It must be assigned legal protection in a manner which prizes an identity which is irreplaceable.”

In his homily on the Feast of the Archangels, Archbishop Martin said
that angels remind us that God cares; that even if the Church
has neglected the Travelling community, God has not.

“The travelling community has a real sensitivity to the fact that God
offers his blessing to all, especially to those who are
most vulnerable,” he said.

Describing the Parish of the Travelling Community as unique, the
Archbishop also paid tribute to Cardinal Desmond Connell for his
foresight in establishing the parish which responds to the needs of
Travellers.

Noting that the parish is called the Parish of the Traveling People
and not for the Travelling people, Archbishop Martin said it was an act
of trust and confidence in the community to take the leading role in
forms of pastoral care and religious development which responds to
the culture, traditions and identity of Travellers.

In his tribute to Fr Derek Farrell, he said the priest was “a true
friend of the Travelling People” who did not seek any great publicity
for himself but placed his talents fully at the service of
the Travellers and their place in society.

“The demand for Catholic schools is strong. The
demand for other forms of patronage is growing. The process of
diversification is still too slow,” he said.

“We live in an era of change. It is no time for
believers to sit and bemoan or to be sidelined into the irrelevant.
Believers must regain confidence and courage to face new things in new
ways.

“It is time for tolerance and respect for
diversities. It is time for a church to be present in society in such a
way as to help people find that God is revealed in Jesus Christ, not as an imposition but as an invitation to fullness of life,” he said.

The debate on patronage “can be polarised and can
ideologically polarise society. A pluralist society has every day to
learn what being pluralist means and how we communicate while
maintaining the language of our dearly felt values,” he added.

A sense of common purpose

“In the educational sphere, pluralism means also
ensuring that ideologies are laid to the side for the moment while a
sense of common purpose emerges to respond to the urgent needs of the
poorest and most disadvantaged,” he said.

Speaking at a Mass to mark the beginning of the school year in Clonliffe College today, he said “educational policy must always have within it a priority option for the poor”.

The disadvantaged “must always be given pride of
place in policy-making and allocation of funds. We have to address more
effectively the needs of the members of the Travelling Community, where
all the indications are that they persistently remain among the most
disadvantaged educationally,” he said.

‘Vital role’

Addressing “in a special way” the Catholic education
community, he said: “Catholic schools have played and continue to play a
vital role in the educational context of this country, and will
continue to do so in the future. They will do so in the future in a
different overall cultural climate which respects the rights of all
parents to choose a school which represents their values.”

The challenge for Catholic education was “to ensure
that Catholic schools are really Catholic. This does not mean that
Catholic schools should become closed Catholic ghettos. It does mean
that religious education in the Catholic school takes on a new profile,”
he said.

“Faith cannot be imposed. Faith education is about an openness to come and see, to seek, to learn,” he said.

In Ireland,
faith has “to move forward from an abstract dogmatic catechesis” while
“Ireland also needs to overcome the intolerance of religion which can be
found at times in an intransigent secularism”.

A Dutch cardinal warned Canadian bishops about the “slippery slope”
of euthanasia, which has been legal in the Netherlands since 2002.

At first, only those at end of life with unbearable physical illness
had access to euthanasia at their request, said Cardinal Willem Eijk of
Utrecht.

Then people with mental illness had access. Then people with dementia
who had made an advanced request could be euthanised; then people who
had not made requests were euthanised, he explained.

The Dutch also have allowed euthanasia of children, though most of
the time handicapped children are killed in utero through abortion, he
said.

“When you leave the door ajar, it will always open more,” he told
members of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops on September 26,
the first day of their five-day meeting.

Canada recently legalised euthanasia.

The bishops heard a report from the lay-run Development and Peace,
which the bishops founded nearly 50 years ago, and were to look at
church relations with native peoples and a new document for safeguarding
children.

In the Netherlands, the debate over euthanasia and assisted suicide began 50 years ago, Cardinal Eijk said.

People argued that physicians needed a new set of ethics because
medical advances gave doctors too much power to force treatments on
people to prolong life at any cost.

The ethics of refusing medical treatment that resulted in a patient’s
natural death became conflated with a physician killing a patient in
order to remove his suffering.

“No new ethics (are) needed,” Cardinal Eijk said, noting that
euthanasia and assisted suicide are both intrinsically wrong, and they
are not the same as the removal of medical treatment in most cases.

In an interview with Canadian Catholic News, Cardinal Eijk said
Canada’s circumstances are different because euthanasia and assisted
suicide have happened so quickly and it is “hard to put on the brakes.”

He said the Canadian bishops must continue to make moral arguments
against euthanasia in the public square and continue advocating for
palliative care.

Palliative care in the Netherlands was only considered in the late
1990s, he said, but the politician who introduced it said palliative
care should include requests for euthanasia.

Cardinal Eijk also urged Canadians to fight for conscience rights. He
noted the Council of Europe tried to pass a law forcing physicians to
perform abortions, but repeated interventions by European bishops
prevented it.

In the Netherlands, only about 15 percent of physicians refuse to
perform euthanasia, he said. He has not heard of anyone who has lost a
job for refusing to take part in euthanasia, but finding a job may be
difficult for such a person.

The Permanent Council of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
has been working on what pastoral advice to give to clergy, pastors and
laypeople regarding euthanasia and assisted suicide, said Bishop Douglas
Crosby of Hamilton, Ontario, conference president.

In the annual president’s address, he called assisted suicide “a major pastoral challenge.”He also discussed the ongoing work of reconciliation with Canada’s
native peoples, pointing out that while the CCCB never had a role in
running Indian Residential Schools, the care of indigenous peoples has
been a major focus of many dioceses and religious orders.

“Later this week, you will receive a progress report on the proposal
for the CCCB to be part of an ongoing ‘circle’ of Catholic parties to
continue to focus on indigenous relations,” Bishop Crosby said.

He said the bishops also would be “invited to approve in principle,” a
new document to assist dioceses and eparchies in “protecting minors,
safeguarding pastoral environments and responding to sexual abuse.”

The document is scheduled for release early in 2017 and will replace the 1992 document, “From Pain to Hope.”

Bishop Crosby noted Development and Peace, the lay-run overseas
development agency founded by the Canadian bishops, will celebrate its
50th anniversary in 2017.

The bishops heard an update on the organisation’s activities by
Deacon Jean-Denis Lampron, president of Development and Peace’s National
Council.

The Bishop of Leeds has announced that his diocese will be lowering
the age at which baptised Catholics will receive the Sacrament of
Confirmation.

In a pastoral letter released on Sunday, Bishop Marcus Stock said
young people would now be invited to make their Confirmation in their
last year of primary school when they are 11, as opposed to 14.

The bishop said that it was “a cause for concern” that a large
proportion of those who are baptised do not make their Confirmation.

He
said: “In the Diocese of Leeds a large proportion of those who are
baptised into the Catholic Church (68 per cent) and make their first
Holy Communion (58 per cent) do not receive also the Sacrament of
Confirmation. This means that we are failing, as a diocesan family, to
complete the initiation into the Catholic Faith of a considerable number
of our children and young people. Such a failure deprives many of our
young people of the objective grace of the Sacrament of Confirmation;
the spiritual gift which provides the vital help they need in their
young and adult lives.”

He continued: “I have decided therefore to change the age at which
the Sacrament of Confirmation is conferred from the age of 14 to 11;
that is, from school year nine to year six, the last year of primary
education. This, I believe, will enable us to focus on and provide a
more integral preparation and celebration of the sacraments of
initiation within the primary years of education.

“In the secondary years of education, the focus will be on how those
who are joined to Christ in His Church live out their faith and give
witness to their faith through vocation and service in the world around
them.”

In his letter the bishop also laid out his vision for the education
of Catholic children and the development of their faith. He said: “In
the primary years of education we should try to help our children learn
to know the person of Our Lord Jesus Christ, to listen to and speak to
Him in prayer, and to develop a personal loving relationship with Him.

“In the secondary years of education, and in the higher education we
offer through our sixth- form provision and through Leeds Trinity
University, we should try to: deepen the faith and relationship of our
young people with Our Lord Jesus Christ; integrate our young people into
the life of the local and universal Church; form our young people in
the Christian virtues which will build character and inspire the leaders
among them; and, help our young people to grow in discipleship and
learn how to put their faith into action through serving Christ in
others, in the Church, and in the world around them.”

Bishop Marcus Stock was former secretary to the Catholic Bishops’
Conference for England and Wales. He became the Bishop of Leeds in
September 2014.